A cable anchor may be used for securing and supporting a cable, such as an electrical cable, in a fixed position.
Cable anchors may be designed in particular to provide strain relief, in order that forces applied to the cable on one side of the cable anchor are not transmitted past the cable anchor but are instead borne by the cable anchor and in turn a component such as a board or connector to which the cable anchor is mounted. This increases resistance to forces on the cable and hence improve the mechanical and electrical integrity of the assembly. Such forces may occur during manufacturing, for example when components are connected together or due to accidental movement of the cable. After assembly, the cable may be subject to linear or rotational forces due to movement or pulling of the cable. If the forces applied to the cable on one side of the cable anchor are transferred to the part of the cable on the other side of the cable anchor, such forces may cause disconnection of the cable or damage to the component to which the cable is attached.
It is important that the strain relief is effective, since this will have a significant effect on overall performance. Additionally, effective strain relief can significantly enhance the lifetime of a device.
A cable anchor must therefore be able to withstand the forces it is subjected to, in order to protect the connection. Further, the cable anchor will be mounted to another component such as a board or sheet and it is important to avoid deformation of the cable anchor or of the sheet it is mounted to due to stress. High levels of stress are particularly likely to occur where a cable is large, or subject to rotational forces.
U.S. Pat. No. 3,989,210 describes a cable anchor that is in the form of a clip that clips to through holes in a circuit board and holds cable between the cable anchor and the board. The cable anchor adapts to a variety of different thicknesses of cable. However, the cable anchor is adapted in particular to flat ribbon cables, not a variety of cables. Therefore, this solution is not of general applicability.